Who said that cats are indifferent animals? It is indeed Radamenes, a former stray cat, who is responsible for helping suffering animals in an animal shelter in northern Poland, in Bydgoszcz. This adorable black cat had himself been rescued in 2014 from a serious respiratory infection in terrible conditions.
The diagnosis was so serious that veterinarians initially considered euthanizing him. “He was in a terrible condition and I decided that the best thing for him was to put him down to shorten his suffering,” says veterinarian Lucyna Kuziel-Zawalich. However, as soon as the vets heard him purring, they decided to save him. “Maybe he knew he was near the end and started fighting for his life. Anyway, he started to win and quickly went like a charm”.
When the feline miraculously healed, veterinarians were surprised to see him cuddle, massage and squeeze other convalescent animals, both cats and dogs, into his paws. “He washes them, sleeps with them and is particularly attentive to those suffering from serious illnesses. It’s as if being so close to death has made him want to help others get better.
Veterinarians jokingly refer to the cat as a full-time nurse. The shelter staff made him their mascot and decided to call him Radamenes in reference to the cat in a Polish children’s cartoon, the incarnation of an Egyptian man granting seven wishes to a little boy who saves him from thugs. Radamenes has become such a local attraction that people come to visit him for good luck. This cat as well as his saviors will have offered us a beautiful lesson in life, that compassion can only generate more compassion in turn.
